Noosa Council is urging dog owners to pay their registration fees to avoid heavy penalties.
Manager of Local Laws and Environmental Health, Rob Smith, said registration is not only a legal requirement but also a vital step in keeping your dog and the local community safe.
“Money collected from registrations helps Council undertake patrols, reunite lost dogs with their owners, identify dogs involved in attacks, resolve barking issues and funds education campaigns,” he said.
“One of the biggest worries dog owners face is being unable to locate their pet if it goes astray. We see many lost dogs on our community pages which can be heartbreaking for owners. We really want to see them back with their owners safely.
“Owners should know that it is an offence not to have current registration for their dog and to keep us informed of any change in ownership details. It’s as simple as visiting our website.
“Despite our efforts, we still have over 1000 dogs in Noosa Shire with unpaid registration, even after sending a final reminder notice in March.
“It is equally important to inform Council of any changes to the information on the registration notice, including address changes. Failure to do so is also an offence.
“We don’t like to, but we have no choice than to enforce the law and start issuing $309 penalties either by post or in person to those dog owners with outstanding registration,” Mr Smith said.
You can avoid this by paying your registration online via Council’s website or in person at Council’s offices at 9 Pelican Street, Tewantin.
New registration payments can be made in person at Council’s customer service counter, 9 Pelican Street, Tewantin.
Forms and further information on dog registration can be found on Council’s website at www.noosa.qld.gov.au/update-animal-details